KABUL: Pope Leo XIV has called for an immediate end to ongoing violence against Palestinians and urged the international community to take practical steps toward a political solution to the Palestinian issue.
The Catholic leader said progress toward a two-state solution could help create the conditions for a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
His remarks come amid growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Human rights groups have raised concerns that attacks on Palestinian homes and the expansion of settlements are intensifying efforts to seize Palestinian land.
Pope Leo has previously expressed concern over the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, calling for the resumption of political negotiations as a means of ending the conflict.